Glare shield for automobiles



J. D. BANKS GLARE SHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES I April 21, 1925.

Filed June 19, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

April 21, 1925. 1,534,487

7 J. D. BANKS GLARE SHIEIJD FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 19, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: 1N VEN TOR.

. I ,v v

' V ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES L 1,534,487 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. BANKS, OF COLWYN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY I VIESNE AND DIRECT AS-- SIGNMENTS, '10 KIL-GLAR COMPANY, OF AUDUBON, NEW JERSEY.

GLARE SHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed June 19, 1920. Serial No. 390,091.

To all whom z'tmag concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. BANKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colwyn, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glare Shields for Automobiles, of which the folcan not see the roadway and steers either into the on-coming car or into a ditch or obstacle at the side of the roadway. Even though no accident results it is decidedly unpleasant to have the strong light glare projected directly in the face every time a car passes which is going in the opposite direction. Numerous devices have been invented to shield drivers from the glare of head lights of on-coming cars and while they serve to some extent to shield the driver from glare at close range, they fail in two particulars or conditions. In the first place they do not absorb the glare when the on-coming car is at a. comparatively great distance and continue to shield the driver until the car has passed him and at the same time permit said driver to clearly see the roadway immediately in front of him. In the second place they do not shield the driver from the glare of a car on a bend or curve ahead and to the right and at the sametime permit him to clearly see the roadway immediately in front of him.

One object of my present invention is to provide an improved glare shield of a practical. simple and durable construction which will serve to absorb the glare of head lights under all of the above mentioned conditions.

A further object is to provide, in one form of my invention, a structure which can be attached to a wind-shield of any of the well known types and if desired can be moved into a position out of the line of driving vision of'the driver.

These objects, and other advantageous ends whichwill be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings in w ich v Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one form of my invention as it appears when in operative position attached to the frame of a wind-shield of a well known type,

F igurc'2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing in dot-anddash line position the direction in which the glare shield proper can be swung into and out of operative position,

Figure 3 is a viewlooking at the opposite side of Figure 1; the glass of the windshield being omitted and the part of the supporting frame of the wind-shield being illustrated in dot-and-dash lines, Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 1 4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 66 'of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a detail view of the shield frame, I

Figure 8 is an elevation showing a modified form of my invention wherein the shield member is inserted directly in the plane of the usualclear glass of a windshield,

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, Figure 10 shows another form of my invention where the glare shield is applied to the surface of the usual clear glass wind shield and,

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line .11-11 of Figure 10.

shield being illustrated. My invention ineludes a bracket 19 having an arm 20. The arm 20 has an upright groove 21 at its lowermost portion which is opposite a corresponding groove 22 in a clamping plate 23; said clamping plate being adapted to be secured by clamping bolts 24. The upright post 18 of the wind-shield, when the device is in operative position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, extends upwardly through the grooves 21 and 22 and the clamping bolts 24 serve to adjustably secure the bracket to the post 18; the clamping bolts extending througlrholes in the arm and plate at the outer side of the post 18 as clearly shown in Figure 1. The arm 20 extends upwardly at a slight slant as shown in Figure 2 and at its top includes a bore 25 for pivotally retaining the trunnion or pin 26 of a shield frame 27. The portion of the bracket above the bore 25 is split and includes projecting cars 28 and 29 through which pass a clamping screw 30 so that by tightening on the clamping screw the shield frame can be held in any desired pivotal position but is permitted to be swung inwardly as shown in the dot-and-dash line position in Figure 2. The trunnion or pin 26 projects in a substantially horizontal direction from the upper left hand corner of the shield frame 27 said shield frame including a substantially horizontal top leg 31 and a depending leg 32. The leg 32 is arranged at the left hand side of the shield frame and includes a forwardly projecting rib 33 which meets at its top a forwardly projecting rib 34 which extends lengthwise of the top leg 31 as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 7. These ribs 33 and 34 are positioned within the width of the respective legs and form aledge for abutment with the top and left hand edge portions of a glare shield member 35. The glare shield member 35 is preferably made of a piece of amber colored plate glass of the shape clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 and is secured to the shield frame 27 by means of clips 36, 37 and 38. These clips embrace the forward surface of the shield member 35; the clip 38 having a shoulder 39 for supporting the lower left hand corner of the shield member 35 while the clip 37 has a shoulder 40 for holding the upper right. hand edge of the shield member 35. The upper left hand corner of the shield member 35 is held in place by the clip 36 and each of the clips 36, 37 and 38 have removable screws 41 which fit in tapped holes in the shield frame. In this manner the glass shield member 35 is secured to the shield frame 27 and 1 preferably employ rubber shrouding members 42 for embracing the glass parts which are engaged by the clips.

The shape of the exposed portion of the glass shield member 35 forms a very important part of my present invention as previously inferred in the objects of the invention and I will therefore describe the shape of my improved shield member specifically.

The shield member 35 includes a main portion a: which extends from top to bottom at the left hand side thereof. From this portion at, a part c projects continuously toward the right at the upper portion of the member so that the bottom edge 43 of the part 00 is above the level of the lower edge 44 of the part as.

in the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the bottom edge 43 of the part as at a oint y inwardly from the outer right hand e go 45 curves downwardly to the left as shown at 46 and at its bottom joins the edge 44 of the part :10. Thus the art w gradually increases in width toward the left and the'edge 43 from the point 3/ becomes gradually lower until it meets the edge 44. In other words, the part m forms an arm which extends from the part ac; the arm becoming narrower as it approaches the point y and also arranged at a higher level than the bottom of the part :12. By thus'construc-tin the member 35, an indentation or clear sig lit passage 47 is produced; said clear sight passage being positioned to the right of the lower portion of the part a; of the shield member 35 and extending above the level of the ed e 44 and below the edge 43 of the part 00 %y positioning the device so that the clear sight passage 47 is practically in front of the eyes of the driver of an automobile upon which the device is placed, the parts a: and .90 provide a glare absorbing zone which is of a scope ca able of taking in the light rays of the head lights of on-coming vehicles irrespective of their distance away or the curvature of the roadway ahead of the driver. For example a driver looking through the glare shield member 35 will see at a distance, through the upper portion thereof, an on-coming vehicle and as the vehicle approaches it will gradually be seen through lower and lower portions of the parts as. If the on-coming vehicle is initially observed at a distance on a right hand turn of theroad, the vehicle will be seen through the portion {131 and as it approaches it will be seen in gradually lowering portions of the member 35vuntil it can be seen through the portion a: where said vehicle can be seen in gradually lowering positions in said part a: until the vehicle has passed.

Not only does the particularly formed glare shield member 35 present the above qualifications but it produces the clear sight passage 47 through which the driver can ob serve the road a sufficient distance ahead of him to enable him to run the car without any possible chance of accident and his driving vision is not impaired.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 8 and 9 instead of mounting the glare absorbing member 35 in a separate and adjustable frame as above described, T have shown the same in the plane of the clear glass of the wind-shield and the glare absorbing member may be made of a separate piece of amber or other colored glass which is set in or it may be made integral with the clear glass and locked in any suitable manner.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 10 and 11 the glare absorbing member 35 is pasted or otherwise secured directly adjacent one surface of the glass of the wind-shield'andthis may be done in any suitable manner such for example as by painting or cementing the glare absorbing member directly upon the glass of the windshield.

In'each .instance the glare shield or absorbing member is made of material which will absorb the glare of strong lights and is preferably made of translucent material such as amber or yellow colored glass, celluloid or other suitable plate .or sheet material. While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, andhenoe I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairl come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is y 1. A device of the character described including a translucent glare shield having a body portion and acomparatively narrow extension projecting laterally therefrom and terminating in a o which'curves downwardly and merges into the adjacent side edge of said body portion; substantially as described, Y

2. A glare shield having its shielding marwer free edge portion gin an larly positioned with respect to the vertica and horizontal. i

3. A lare shield comprising a four-sided sheet. o having one edge inclined, with the upper edge longer than the lower edge.

4. In a vehicle having a wind shield provided with a pane, a transparent light screen lyin against and extending across the upper portion of the pane and having a transparent screen part extending downwardly at the side thereof, said screen being sufiiciently transparent so that objects are visible in sharp outline therethrough, but light-obstructing so that such objects appear under a reduced intensity of illumination, and the width of the transverse portion and the de gree of downward extension of the screen being proportioned to provide a maximum of uncovered glass with the continuous protection from the glare of the approaching headlight as the latter approaches and then moves to the side of the protected operator in assing. a

n testimony whereof I have signed my transparent material, said sheet;

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN D. BANKS.

Witnessesi ELIZABETH GARBE, CHAS. E. Poms, 

